Preaching and the Land - Luke 13:10-17

Luke's text for August 24 focuses on one of the gospel writer's favorite themes, healing and restoration.  The person who benefited on this occasion was "a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years."  Often, women took center stage in Luke's gospel.

Newly Excavated Synagogue at Magdala

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue.  While teaching, he noticed a woman who was "bent over and could not fully straighten herself."  Jesus called to her, laid his hands upon her and freed her from the infirmity.

Here's what we know from the Fifth Gospel about this incident:

• the Jewish Mishna defined what could and couldn't be done on the Sabbath
• oddly in the minds of some Pharisees one could untie a donkey and lead it 2000 feet to water but not heal a "daughter of Abraham"
• the ruler of the synagogue expressed indignation at the breaking of sabbath
• after all, the woman had been infirmed for eighteen years; the work of healing could have waited one more day
• in the face of the challenge to his honor, Jesus defiantly called the ruler out as a hypocrite and pointed out the inconsistency of legal interpretation
• many did rejoice at Jesus' teaching and healing

We should note that not all Pharisees interpreted Torah in the same way.  Jesus joined many other Pharisees in believing that "to be able to do good on Sabbath and not do it" was a transgression of the law.